


To Make A New Home

by CelestialDevotee



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom, Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, BAMF TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Clara the astronaut - Freeform, Cow Hybrid Henry, Dead Wilbur Soot, Exiled TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Farmer Tommyinnit, Fluff and Angst, Ghost Wilbur Soot, Good Older Sibling Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Good Parent Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Hurt TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Moth Hybrid Clementine, Older Sibling Wilbur Soot, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Parent TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Piglin Hybrid Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ram Hybrid Toby Smith | Tubbo, Resurrected Wilbur Soot, Runaway TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Scared TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), Tommy adopts two kids, Villain Clay | Dream (Video Blogging RPF), Wilbur Soot and Technoblade and TommyInnit are Siblings, Winged Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Winged TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), hybrid children
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:15:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29149581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CelestialDevotee/pseuds/CelestialDevotee
Summary: Tommy runs from his exile, and makes a life for himself far, far away from everyone else. He meets Clara; a lady from space, and she fills a space in his heart that he’d been missing. It is only when she must leave, that he has to find a way to keep that space filled.//A.K.A, the Runaway Farmer Tommy with kids story that I got an idea for, inspired by: “a quiet life for small hands” by Tangerinetoad!The chapters won’t be exceptionally long, as I’ve learned that I can write more chapters faster if I make the chapters shorter than I’m used to. But also, chapter length will vary, and I do plenty of timeskipping around.
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 72
Kudos: 729





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my first ever Dream SMP fanfic! I’m writing this story with all the confidence of a woman who doesn’t always know what she’s doing, so please be patient with me as I try my best! 
> 
> //TW for the first chapter!;  
> -Blood  
> -Injuries (burns and scars)  
> -Manipulation  
> -Trauma/Traumatic thoughts

Tommy shook in fear, huddled in a ball in the crater that used to be Logstedshire. Blood dripped from his arms and onto the dirt beneath him, the stray feathers around him becoming splattered with the liquid. His ears were ringing with the recent sounds of explosions, his eyes widened with horror as his wings covered his face. His vision was blurry, and he could barely grasp the sound of Dream speaking to him over the ringing in his ears. His blue eyes managed to look up, seeing the man staring down at him with his masked face, and Tommy could just see the anger and disappointment sitting behind the white porcelain. Tommy couldn’t tell what Dream said next, due to his ears still being painfully loud, but he could guess what it was, the muffled voice slowly filtering into his hearing.

_ “I’m very disappointed…. you get what you deserve… be back in two weeks….”  _

The voice faded in and out, but Tommy scrambled to move, tears pricking at his eyes as he grabbed at Dream’s pant leg.

“N-no, Dream, I- I’m sorry, I won’t do it a-again, I- p-please, d-don’t leave me, n-not again, I can’t take it... I’ll be good, I-I’ll listen, I p-promise!” Dream sent a glare towards the blonde, even Tommy could tell that much from the way his skin suddenly prickled as though burned. Dream shook the boy off his leg, shaking his head, before turning to walk away. Tommy simply slumped onto the ground in defeat, tears making their way down his widened eyes. He stayed like that until his body felt cramp; until the sun began to dip behind the trees, until he knew he had to get up, lest he bleed out from his wounds—lest the mobs take his final life. 

Tommy hurriedly stuffed whatever he could salvage from the rubble and ruins into his beat up and dirtied backpack. There wasn’t much salvageable, but he managed. Tommy flapped his wings, red feathers falling to the ground as he lifted himself out of the crater. He was glad that Dream hadn’t taken his wings from him, otherwise he’d…. well, he wouldn’t know what to do. The blonde teen spared a glance at his tent, the smoldering fabric still scorched with flames. There was a crater there as well, he doubted anything could be saved. His heart clenched at that, because he’d left his compass to Tubbo in there. Now it was gone. Tommy huffed as he looked over the land, riddled with various holes and destruction from Dream’s visits. It sucked. Tommy looked to his left, just barely seeing the cold snow that led into the icy tundra, where Technoblade lived. Tommy scrunched his nose. He didn’t want to go live with Techno. The memories of the man killing Tubbo, screaming at him as he spawned withers to destroy the country… it was all still fresh in his mind. And Tommy hated the man for that. The man he considered an older brother, no better than Dream. Well, probably  _ leagues _ better than Dream, but there was no way Tommy would go to him. And he couldn’t fly over the ocean either, because the green man would surely find him faster that way.

So Tommy turned to his right, clutched the straps of his bag tighter, and fled into the forest.

~~~~~~

Tommy had been running for three days straight now; sticking to the ground instead of flying, the fear that Dream would see his bright red wings getting to him. He’d hardly stopped to rest since then, but by now he had to be thousands of miles away from his exile, and even further from the SMP now. Settling to rest underneath a tree, Tommy huffed frustratingly as he tried to light the small pile of sticks and pine needles he had on fire. It was hard, his bandaged fingers continuously slipping as he swiped the rocks together. The teen cursed under his breath, but he eventually managed to light a small fire. Cupping his hands around the sparks, he gently blew on them until they lit. When the flame jumped to life, with a small  _ fwoosh _ , Tommy flinched and jumped back. His mind flashed with images of his arms burning, the skin tingling as the thoughts rushed through his head.

He tried not to think about it.

As the fire blazed, Tommy took this fleeting downtime to check over himself. He was starving, and the bandages on his arms had grown even dirtier than before. The blonde hissed as he unwrapped them, peeling them away from his burned and bloodied skin. Tommy had to clean the wounds; and wrap them in fresh bandages, but he only had the ones he was wearing, so he supposed that he would have to make do. 

Finding a nearby stream, Tommy dunked his arms in the cold waters, shuddering at the feeling. He stayed there for a while, washing his arms, before he moved to wash his bandages in the same water. Blood, ash and dirt came off of the fabric, and while they didn’t become completely clean, they were good enough. Tommy moved back to his fire, hanging his bandages up to dry before he could put them back on. As he waited, he dug around in his bag, pulling out some food that he’d brought to eat. It wasn’t much, just a couple of fruits and bread he’d managed to salvage. He would have to ration it, he wasn’t sure how long he’d be running for. As Tommy sat in silence and ate, he thought about Dream. He wondered if he’d be upset that Tommy left, or glad that the boy was finally out of his hair. But what if he was sad? Dream was his only friend after all.

~~**_It was Tommy who messed up._ ** ~~

No, no.. Dream was  _ using _ him, he was only visiting him because he had to, to keep him in check. But… but he went to his party, he told Tommy about how everyone hated him, that means he was his only friend, right? Tubbo never came to visit, so he had to have been telling the truth,  _ right?  _

Tommy shook his head, getting the thoughts out of his mind. The sun began to peak above the trees, and Tommy put out his fire, before grabbing his now-dried bandages and wrapping them around his arms and hands. He placed his bag on his back, and stood up, making his way deeper into the forest once more.

~~~~~~~~

It’d been about three weeks, before Tommy had finally found a suitable area to build his home. It was behind a large mountain, with plains stretching out as far as the eye could see, an ocean lying just beyond that. A forest sat right on the opposite side of the mountain, the large structure being the wall between the two biomes. Tommy built his house into the side of the mountain, which would make it easier to expand underground if he needed. Just like his home back in the SMP. It obviously did not look the same, Tommy going for a more “proper” looking build, as proper as one could be when it was a house built into the base of a mountain. Tommy sighed, looking out across his land, the wind gently blowing through his hair, red and golden feathers shining in the sunlight. This would be his new home, and he knew that he’d have a good start here.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> //Chapter two TW:  
> -Mentions of Tommy’s burned arms  
> -Mentions of injuries  
> -Manipulated thoughts  
> -Mentions of abuse

The blonde wiped some sweat off his brow, sighing as he sat back on his haunches. Tommy ran his fingers through his hair, the digits getting stuck in a couple of knots and tangles here and there. He hadn’t had time to properly brush his hair, since he’d been working day and night. A month had passed since Tommy ran from his exile, and while he was definitely looking healthier than he had before, the scars still remained. Tommy kept his arms bandaged, all the way down to his fingers, because that’s where the explosion had hit him the most. As he’d raised his arms to shield himself, completely forgetting that he could’ve used his wings for that. This had in turn caused his arms to become badly burned and blistered, from the bicep all the way down to his hands. Tommy was pretty positive he’d even been briefly on fire at one point, but he wasn’t sure. He also still had scars on his torso and legs, but those were smaller and less noticeable. They’d been given to him when he wasn’t being good, and he understood, Tommy was loud and annoying, and he deserved to be punished for talking back…. 

~~**_For being a burden to Dream…_ ** ~~

The blonde shook his head.

No,  _ no _ .. don’t think like that Tommy. You’ve left, no one is going to hurt you anymore. The blonde closed his eyes, pressing his palms against them so hard that he saw spots. He sat there for a couple of moments, before shaking himself and getting back to his farming. 

Tommy was currently harvesting the carrots and potatoes he’d planted, and preparing the soil for replanting the same vegetables once all the current crops were harvested. Placing the vegetables in the grass basket that he held under his arm, Tommy filled it to the brim, before standing up and walking back to his house. The teen hummed to himself as he continued his routine of putting the harvested foods away, grabbing extra for replanting, and grabbing his tools for harvesting the wheat. The tune he hummed was one familiar, one that his brother had come up with after his death.

“He’s in your bed, I’m in your twitch chat… hm hm hmm Hm..” As Tommy moved around his home, a loud crash coming from outside of his door startled him out of whatever mood he was in. The boy dropped the vegetables in his arms, his hand immediately flying for his sword, his feathers fluffing up in fear. Tommy could feel his heart beating frantically as his eyes widened. He didn't move, hardly breathing, and after a couple of minutes, a knock sounded at the door. Tommy's eyes widened. Who was at the door? Was it Dream? Did he finally find him? Was he going to be mad? No.. no of  _ course _ he would be mad. And then he’d  _ kill _ Tommy and take his final life and- 

The knock sounded again, and Tommy crept towards his door, hand gripping his sword handle tightly. He was shaking in fear, and if it  _ was _ Dream, he could just feel how upset the man would be if Tommy pulled a sword out on him. His mind was automatically preparing to be asked to throw all his stuff into a hole, Tommy helplessly watching it clatter against the bottom, the TNT being lit and falling in behind it… 

“Hello? Is anyone home?” A voice called, and Tommy snapped out of his thoughts. That..  _ that _ didn’t sound like Dream. The voice was female, and.. and unless Dream knew how to do impressions, Tommy was pretty positive that Dream didn’t sound like a  _ woman _ . The voice actually didn't sound like any woman he'd met before; really, and before he knew what he was doing, Tommy opened the door. 

There, before him, stood a lady with short white hair, the tips reaching her neck. She had dark tan skin, and bright silver eyes. She was wearing what appeared to be a spacesuit, and she held a bundle of scrap metal and wires in her arms. When the woman and Tommy locked eyes, the strange lady smiled. Somehow, she seemed familiar.

"Hello! Sorry to disturb you. My ship broke down and crashed here, and I was wondering if you had any spare parts to help me fix it!" Tommy stared at her with a shocked expression. The lady was obviously older than Tommy, even if he was taller than her. Tommy would guess that she was older by a couple years, but not that much. The blonde must have realized that he was just staring at her blankly, because he shut his gaping mouth and shook his head. His feathers ruffled anxiously, as he shifted from one foot to the other. 

"Uhh.. Not...not really. I don't 'ave any spare parts, but, uh.. I can help with materials? Maybe? I’ve got like, iron and shit..." The lady nodded her agreement. 

"Yeah, that should be fine! I know how to build engine parts and stuff, so that'll work. But uh.. I might have to impose on your home for a while, until I can fix my ship. Is that okay with you?" Tommy nodded all too eagerly, stepping aside to let the lady in his house. To have company aside from himself would be extremely welcomed. It's just been him and his thoughts this past month, and for three months before that, it'd been him and Dream. So any other company was a miracle. The lady beamed, entering Tommy's home. 

"Awesome! It's nice to meet you, I'm Clara!"

"... Tommy."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tommy and Clara became fast friends. Not best friends, like he and Tubbo are  ~~**_were, you were friends, not anymore_ ** ~~ ~~,~~ but more like how he was friends with the other adults that were in the SMP. Due to his exile, Tommy was no longer as loud and outgoing as he used to be, and he was slightly more hardworking than he was before. Clara helped Tommy with his farm, and helped him build a barn. As Tommy went out to go herd animals for the barn, Clara would fix things around the house. She would accompany him while mining sometimes, helping to point out the different ores and such that would help her build the parts to her ship, and sometimes just picking ores that would be useful around the house. When Clara didn’t accompany Tommy in mining, she would be at the house, building said spare parts for her ship. 

Sometimes, Tommy would watch her, handing her any tools she needed, and occasionally asking questions about what she was doing. He didn’t ask too much, because a talkative boy who asked too many questions was bad. But Clara was nice, she was friendly. She answered any questions that Tommy had, and even answered things that he didn’t ask about. Clara could tell that there were things that Tommy didn’t want to talk about, and she respected that. She’d noticed how thin and injured his body was, however, and so she took over cooking duties, helping feed Tommy meals to get his strength back up. She helped him fix his bandages and even got him new ones. Clara taught Tommy how to fix his clothes as well, when he asked. She was happy to help the boy with anything he needed, readily accepting whenever he asked with that soft voice of his.

Clara knew that someone had messed this boy up, and she wished that she could stay to teach that person a piece of her mind. But since she couldn’t, she would just help him recover as best she could.

The weather was growing colder, and Tommy and Clara had to be in the house more and more. This was fine by them, as having a friend to chat with by the warm fire was always great. Tommy wasn’t too fond of fire, of having the fireplace in his house, but he’d rather not freeze to death. Clara could see the way that Tommy would shake whenever he so much as glanced at the fire, how he would flinch when the logs lit. She began offering to light the fire from then on. Sometimes, Clara would hum a familiar tune to herself, one that Tommy recognized as  _ Chirp _ . He would hum along with her, in understanding. 

He now knew why she felt so familiar that first time.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> //Man, I speedrun writing these chapters in my Google docs, so I’m just mass updating and creating this story as I go, huh? Trigger Warnings for this chapter:
> 
> -Panic attack  
> -Mention of injuries and blood (not graphic)

It was the middle of the night when Clara heard a cry throughout the house, and jumping up from her bed, she rushed out of her room and into the one down the hall from her own. Flinging open the door, Clara spotted Tommy, flailing around in his sheets. Tears tracked down his face, and he thrashed against his covers. His wings wrapped protectively around him, feathers fluttering down onto the bed sheets. Another cry ripped itself from the teen’s throat, and Clara rushed forwards, gently trying to calm Tommy down. 

“Shh… it’s okay Tommy, you’re okay. Calm down, it’s alright, I’m here.” This routine was familiar to Clara, having done it several times now in the past month she’d lived here with her young friend. When Tommy stopped struggling enough for Clara to sit down on the bed, she gently guided Tommy up into a sitting position. 

“Tommy, do you know where you are? Do you know who I am?” Tommy’s eyes were still closed, tears still trailing his cheeks. He hunched in on himself, pressing closer into Clara’s side. A shudder passed through his body, his wings trembling with the motion.

“...I’m sorry Dream, I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to wake you…” Clara sighed, her face filled with sadness. She gently ran her thumbs across the boy’s cheeks, wiping away tears.

“No Tommy, I’m not Dream, remember? Come on Tommy.. look at me, okay?” It took a moment, but Tommy managed to open his eyes, dull grey ones locking onto bright silver. He was silent for a bit, before he spoke again, his voice soft and raspy.

“...Clara…?” Clara smiled at him, nodding her head. Her fingers softly combed through the boy’s blonde locks, moving the tangled mane out of his face.

“Yes, it’s me, Clara. I’m right here for you, okay? You aren’t there anymore. You’re here, safe with me.” Tommy sniffled, nodding his head, cuddling closer to the older woman. His wings had disappeared from sight, the boy having hidden them to make the position more comfortable. Tommy often had nightmares, of his days in exile. And Clara would help him through them, reminding him that he was safe, and that no one would hurt him ever again. Clara didn’t know how Tommy had been before his exile; but considering how he was when she first met him, flinching at everything and always muttering to himself, she figured that he’d come a little ways since then. He did better in her presence, but maybe it was because she was warm to him. Because she was familiar, and in a nice way. 

The two stayed like that for the rest of the night. And when the sun peeked above the treetops, they’d fallen back asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

The month passed. And that turned into two, which turned into three. Clara and Tommy were living a peaceful life in their little plains, and Tommy felt like he finally had the mother he’d never gotten to know before. One who was cool and an astronaut, and not a smart fridge. Clara happily accepted the way that Tommy saw her as his mother figure, and she did her best to live up to that title. Before either of them knew it, it was Tommy’s 17th birthday. And Clara baked him a delicious cake, and they had a small party. They went exploring in the forests and caves, and they sat on a blanket in the field and watched the stars. 

And Clara taught Tommy how to make and maintain self-sustaining generators. And ways to keep his home warm without having to look at, or go near the fire. And she taught him how to more easily identify and find ores, and how to properly care for his injuries. And as the weather grew warmer, Clara was spending more and more time outside, working on her ship. And Tommy helped her. And even though they both lived peacefully, neither of them forgot the fact that soon, Clara would have to leave. She would have to go back in her ship among the stars, singing  _ Chirp _ all the way.

Neither wanted to acknowledge that fact though. But it would eventually be inevitable. 

One day; about a week after Tommy’s party, the blonde had been in the house, changing the bandages on his arms, when suddenly he could hear frantic knocking on the front door. Tommy rushed over, leaving the bandages behind, to fling the door open, only to see Clara, injured and carrying two small children in her arms and on her back. Clara stumbled into the house, and Tommy shut the door behind her, panicked.

“Clara?! What’s going on? What happened to you?! Where did these kids come from??!” Tommy was, understandably, panicking. His wings were fluffed up, and he looked as though he was going to take off any second. Clara hushed the teen, before carefully lowering the kids to the couch that sat in the living room. Upon closer inspection, it seemed that the kids were hybrids. Once the kids were laid out on the couch, unconscious, Clara sighed, falling back and slumping to the floor, back resting against the couch as well. She held her side, which was bleeding, and it was obvious that that was where she’d been injured. Tommy snapped out of his shock when he saw this, and rushed to the bathroom to grab the first aid kit. He returned and gave the item to his mother-figure, tears brimming in his eyes as he dropped to his knees right alongside her.

“Clara? What h-happened? Why ‘ave you brought back these kids? Why’re you hurt?” The blonde questioned, and Clara shook her head.

“I’ll answer your questions in a bit, Tommy. Just.. help me patch up the kids, I’ll handle myself.” The silver-eyed woman said, still in that soft voice she always used. Still ever-so-kind to Tommy. The teen sniffled in understanding, and did as he was told. It was silent for the next hour as time was spent patching up and cleaning wounds. Once all was said and done, Clara sighed again, and launched into her tale.

She’d been out, looking for more plants to use in the farms and the medicine, when suddenly she heard screaming and cries from nearby. The woman had rushed to check out the scene, only to find these two children getting attacked by Pillagers. She’d managed to fight a couple off and scoop up the kids, but not without escaping a few cuts herself, and getting an arrow in her side. The kids had fallen unconscious once they’d escaped the pillagers, and Clara carried them all the way back home. 

“I think they’re like you, Tommy. Kids lost, with nowhere to go. No one to care for them. I think… I think you should take care of them.” Tommy spluttered, shocked.

“M-me?! But-but, what am I going to do?! I’m just, I’m still a kid myself! I don’t know ‘ow to.. how to take care of children!” Clara smiled, and reached a hand up, running her fingers through Tommy’s hair. It wasn’t pulled back into a ponytail yet, like it normally was, so it was easy to comb her fingers through the blonde locks without pulling on them. Tommy leaned into the touch, his wings wrapping around his mother-figure as he pulled himself closer to her. A quiet rumbling escaped from his chest as Clara combed her fingers through his hair. The woman smiled, holding Tommy close.

“I’m sure you’ll do okay Tommy. Besides, aren’t you always telling me how you’re a big man? I’m sure you’ll be able to take good care of these kids. I can tell.” Tommy didn’t respond, he didn’t know how to. And that was okay. Tommy and Clara just sat in silence, relishing in each other’s presence, both of them just glad that they’re alive. Glad to be spending what time they could with one another before it was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know, I’m not too good with characterization sometimes, especially for something I’m new to writing such as this. But a lot of the fics I see always talk about how Tommy is a big man, and in canon, he always says it a lot too. But I think everyone forgets that c!Tommy is just a kid, even Tommy himself. And I think that even he should get to acknowledge that fact sometimes. And while Clara knows it isn’t good to leave two small children with a mentally unstable teen, there isn’t much that she can do aside from leave them out in the wild to die. And she’s not gonna do that, so she just has to trust that Tommy will do well.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda shorter than the others so far, but the next chapter and it’s events would have made it too long, so I had to compensate. I’m sorry, but I hope y’all enjoy it anyways!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No TW for this chapter

Another week would pass in that peaceful home of theirs. The children had woken up the morning after Clara saved them, and Tommy got to know them. They didn’t have names. One child was a girl, who looked to be about six, and she was a human-moth hybrid. She had delicate and soft wings upon her back, all coloured with pastel pinks and yellows. She had two little antennas sticking out from her fluffy strawberry blonde hair, and pink and yellow freckles spattered across her porcelain cheeks. 

Her big, round blue eyes had looked around them in surprise, before landing on Tommy and sticking. Tommy had shifted slightly, a little uncomfortable. The other child was a boy, and he looked a little older than the girl, no more than seven or eight. He seemed to be a sort of human-cow hybrid, with fluffy little cow ears on the sides of his head, and two little horns sticking out from his fluffy brown hair. If it weren’t for the cow-like tail flicking against the couch, Tommy wouldn’t have been able to tell that the child was half of one. The child reminded Tommy of a friend.

~~**_No, no. Not a friend. He’s not your friend._ ** ~~

~~**_He_ ** **exiled** **_you! Is that what friends would do?_ ** ~~

~~**_He left you to_ ** **Dream** **_. He left you to_ ** **die** **_._ ** ~~

_ “Dream, please see to it that Tommy is escorted out of my country.”  _

Tommy blinked, the memories and thoughts too much for him. 

He looked away.

The children were obviously at the age where they’d be able to speak, but they didn’t really say anything. When Clara asked the two if they’d had names, they just shook their heads. So it was up to the blonde to name them. Just from the sight of them both, he already had suitable names for them, as their appearances reminded him of names he’d thought of before.

“Clementine and Henry.” Clara smiled up at the teen, who blushed and turned away, huffing with embarrassment. 

“Those are lovely names, Tommy. What do you two think? Do you like it?” The children exchanged glances, before looking back up to the two, smiling and nodding excitedly. Clara beamed.

“Wonderful! Welcome to the home, Clementine and Henry!” The rest of the day had passed by, with the children’s wounds being treated, and the two getting some food in them. They’d eaten desperately, like they hadn’t had a bite of food in days. The rest of the week passed by smoothly, with Tommy and Clara letting the kids get to know them, and showing them around their new home. Having two extra pairs of hands to help with the last of the ship repairs was delightful, and even if they couldn’t do much aside from handing Clara things, she was still grateful for it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With the end of the week came the day that Tommy and Clara had been dreading since the start. Her ship was finally fixed, and she was ready to go home. Tommy had clung to the woman, his wings wrapped around her as he sobbed.

“Please Clara, wh-why do you h-have to go? I don’t want y-you to go!” The teen sobbed, his face gross and wet with tears. He felt bad for crying into the fabric of Clara’s suit, like he was ruining it, but he couldn’t stop his sadness. He didn’t want her to leave. Everyone always left him, he didn’t want her to go as well.

Clara shed some tears of her own, hugging Tommy tightly and running her fingers through his hair. A motion that never failed to calm his cries.

“I know Toms.. I know… I don’t want to go either. But.. I don’t belong here, I belong up there, amongst the stars. I would never have been able to stay for long, you know this.” Tommy simply cried harder, unable to come up with a response. He knew he was being selfish, he knew that Clara probably had family somewhere else, people who missed her just as much as he would, but despite that… he still didn’t want to let go. The children were standing by, and Clara beckoned them to join the hug as well. They did so, tears at the corners of their little eyes as well. Clementine and Henry hadn’t known Clara for long, but she saved their lives. She was nice, and she fed them tasty food and sang them to sleep. They would miss her as well.

The hug lasted for a while, until Tommy’s cries quieted down to soft sniffles. He wiped at his eyes with his bandaged hands, and Clara gave the boy a kiss on the top of his head.

“Take care of yourself Tommy, okay? And you’ve got to be strong now, for yourself, and for the kids. I left you guys some presents, they’re in my room. I hope you like them, they were the best I could do in such a short amount of time.” Tommy nodded, still rubbing tears from his eyes. He held the kids’ hands as they watched Clara put on her helmet, and watched as she entered her spaceship. They stepped back a bit, as the engines started up, and waved to Clara as she prepared to take off. Clara smiled, giving her own wave back through the window, before the ship was lifted high into the air, before flying off, towards the stars. Tommy’s grip tightened around Clementine and Henry’s hands, and a few more tears slipped down his cheeks. They stared into the sky for a few minutes longer, before turning and entering the house. 

As Tommy hummed  _ Chirp _ to himself, he could’ve sworn he heard a more feminine voice, singing along with him.


	5. Five

_ Four months ago, in L’Manberg… _

Tubbo paces worriedly in his office, bags under his eyes and hair a mess. Two little goat horns sat atop his head, and they were growing, slightly beginning to curl back. He grabbed at them when the brunette glanced at himself in the mirror, fear chilling him down to his bones. He wished he could get rid of them, he wished he didn’t look like…  _ him _ . Tubbo sighs, and decides to leave his office for the day. The young president had been busy preparing for Christmas, and a festival, and so he was extremely tired. But he was also worried, worried for his best find that held exiled. Tubbo groaned, pressing his palms against his eyes. That was so stupid of him! He didn’t want to exile Tommy, but… 

The nation was important, but Tubbo missed his friend. He missed the loud blonde who never failed to light up his day, who managed to bring a smile to everyone’s faces, no matter how annoying he was being. Without Tommy’s presence, L’Manburg was quieter, more peaceful. And while that was nice and all, without wars being started every week, Tubbo still missed him. The brunette decided that he would visit Tommy, in his exile. He hadn’t seen him in a while, so maybe Tommy would be happy to see him? 

~~**_Of course he wouldn’t be happy to see you_ ** ~~

~~**_You exiled him_ ** ~~

~~**_You_ ** **abandoned** **_him_ ** ~~

~~**_You’re just like Schlatt._ ** ~~

And the young president could use a break from his duties anyhow. Smiling, Tubbo made up his mind, leaving the White House to go visit his best friend. As Tubbo made his way towards the Community Portal, he was met halfway by a familiar face.

“Hello Tubbo! Are you going to visit Tommy too?” Ghostbur asked, a smile on his pale face as he floated alongside Tubbo, a piece of blue held in his hand. Tubbo nodded at the ghost, and the two of them passed through the portal into the Nether.

“Yeah. I haven’t visited Tommy yet, cause I was so busy, so I thought I would do so now! Has he been alright, Ghostbur?” Ghostbur nodded, before tilting his head to the side.

“He was fine last I saw him, he had a beach party! Did you go? I wasn’t able to, because I got lost..” Tubbo’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“A beach party? No.. I didn’t get an invitation…” That made something inside of Tubbo clench in sadness. Tommy had a beach party? And didn’t invite him? Was he still mad at him for what he did..? Ghostbur hummed, floating around a zombie pigman. 

“That’s weird! Maybe Dream got lost too. He said he’d deliver the invitations for me, but I guess if he didn’t, he must’ve had something come up!” Tubbo’s eye twitched at the mention of Dream. He didn’t trust the green man, not one bit. But, Dream was there during Tommy’s exile? Had.. had he always been there? Or was it just a coincidence? At the thought, Tubbo’s gut twisted in anxiety, rather than sadness. He suddenly felt like something was wrong. The boy picked up his speed, making his way to the Logstedshire portal as fast as he could. The thin wooden bridge had been broken and was slightly burning, but Tubbo managed to remake it partially with some blocks he had on him. Ghostbur followed all the while, oblivious to Tubbo’s sudden state of panic. As the two passed through the portal to Logstedshire, Tubbo nearly tripped and fell onto the grass.

“Tommy? Tommy, I’m here—!” Tubbo was cut off as his eyes took in the sights around him. Logsted had been blown sky high, and was now a smoking crater in the ground. There were holes everywhere, and everything had been blown to bits. The smoldering remains of a tent drifted by in the wind. Tubbo stumbled around the site, his eyes wide with fear. He didn’t see Tommy, where could he be? 

“Tommy?!” Tubbo called again, going over to the crater where Logsted stood. The sky began to darken, and the brunette’s eyes widened at the sight he saw before him. In the crater, sat splatters of blood, and several red and gold feathers. Those too were covered in blood. A singular, thin shadow loomed over the crater, and as Tubbo looked up, it began to rain. Ghostbur gave a soft cry as the rain began to hit his ghostly form, but Tubbo paid it no mind, his eyes too busy focusing on the structure before him.

A hastily made tower stretched high into the sky, above the clouds. It was made up of different blocks; wood, cobble and dirt. You couldn’t see the top of it, as it was that high. There was no ladder on the tower, and unless you had wings, no way down. But from what Tubbo could see, it didn’t look like Tommy safely flew down from the tower.

The brunette dropped to his knees tears streaming down his face as the rain began to fall heavier. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the tower, and could barely make out the sound of flapping wings behind him. Someone landed, a couple of feet away, and Tubbo didn’t register Ghostbur’s presence quickly moving from his side. The sizzling of the ghost’s skin had stopped, as though he’d found shelter. Tubbo was still lost in a state of shock. It wasn’t until he felt a hand on his shoulder that he snapped out of it.

“Mate? Are you alright?” The familiar accent of Philza spoke up from behind him, his other wing moving to shelter Tubbo from the rain. He was most likely doing the same for Ghostbur. Tubbo blinked once; twice, and then without warning, Tubbo began to scream.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few hours later, L’Manberg began to mourn the loss of a child, planning his funeral. Quackity took over most of the duties, because Tubbo was too busy grieving over his friend. Philza helped however he could, his face clouded with sadness.

_ This would be the second time he’d had to bury a son. _

Phil knew he had to tell Techno, but he didn’t want to tell the man over the communicators. It wouldn’t be fair to him. But he couldn’t leave during the funeral. He did, however, begin to pack up his things in his house. After the funeral, he wouldn’t be staying here much longer. He’d lost two children to the government, he didn’t want to lose another one. 

The next day, the funeral preparations had finished, and Phil and Ghostbur had returned from Logstedshire with a bundle of Tommy’s feathers. Since permadeath usually meant there was no body left behind, all burials had to be made with items that that person loved or owned placed in the casket. Phil kept four feathers to himself, the cleanest ones he could find. The rest were placed in the coffin. Punz placed Tommy’s disc in the coffin, the one he’d been holding for Dream. Tubbo had the other one, and he put that in there as well. Philza gave the boy a feather.

Once all the items were placed inside, people came up to say a couple of words. They all spoke of how much Tommy meant to them, and how sorry they were for not being there for him. Tubbo could barely make it through his speech, before he broke down into tears. Quackity and Fundy had led him away from the stage, consoling the boy as they went. Phil went next, and spoke about how much he’d loved his youngest son, and how he’d miss him. Internally, he cursed everyone who was present. What did they ever do for Tommy? They exiled him, and they left him to Dream. They never visited him, and they caused him to do this, because Tommy must have felt like no one cared for him anymore.

Tears slipped down Phil’s cheeks, and he tried not to think about how  ~~**_it was his fault as well_ ** ~~ Tommy must have felt that he was all alone. Dream had shown up near the end of the funeral, and it was all Phil could do to hold himself back from beating the green man to a pulp then and there. Fundy had done the job for him, punching the masked man across the face and having to be pulled away by Quackity. Dream’s mask had cracked from the hit, and he spat curses at the citizens before taking his leave. The casket was buried, and everyone retreated to their homes.

If anyone saw Phil and Ghostbur leaving his home that day; in the early dregs of the morning, packed up and ready to go, no one said anything. They simply let the two leave, getting into a boat, and disappearing from the lands of the SMP.


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and the kids open their gifts.  
> Clementine starts learning how to fly.  
> Time passes.  
> Philza catches some strange people trying to steal from he and Techno, which is a stupid decision.
> 
> Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one turned out to be shorter than I thought it was which- sucks, but it’s alright! I hope you guys enjoy it either way!

The presents that Clara had left them all were things she’d made herself. For Clementine, it was a moth doll, a doll that looked like Tommy, and a little pink backpack for her to wear and put her things in. For Henry, he’d gotten a little wooden sword, a little metal shield, and silver rings that he could put on his horns. And finally, Clara had left Tommy with a necklace, that had pictures of herself, the kids and Tommy in them, a fixed communicator (Tommy’s had broken, a while back. Clara fixed it and made various changes as well, so that Tommy couldn’t be found, and he could message her if he really needed, but as of now, she was still offline.) and two compasses. The compasses pointed to Henry and Clementine respectively, and Tommy would always be able to find them. The compasses had also come with little rings that Clementine and Henry could wear either on their finger or on a necklace around their neck, that would attract the needle of the compass. As long as the kids never took it off, the compasses would point to them. 

About two months have passed since Clara left, and it was now the beginning of summer. Tommy was even busier now, having been hunting and mining more often to help take care of his new kids. Henry and Clementine had begun speaking again about two weeks after Clara left, and they’d proven to have been very sociable kids. They’d been a little wary of Tommy at first, but after watching the teen awaken from a nightmare, and somehow helping him calm down, their guards had been dropped. Tommy was also working on himself, doing his best to keep himself together for the sake of his kids. Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy to get over three months of abuse and manipulation at the hands of the most powerful man on the server, but Tommy was trying. 

Today was a warm day, the sun was shining high up in the sky, and Tommy was outside watching the kids chase each other in the field. In his hands were some clothes, and he was currently sewing them back together for Henry and Clementine. He was glad that Clara had taught him these things, because he didn’t really have the money to continue buying them more clothes, and the closest village was at least a hundred blocks away. After patching together a hole in the shirt he held in his hand, Tommy looked up to see Clementine struggling to get off the ground, her little wings flapping furiously. The teen chuckled, and stood from his spot on the porch, before he walked over to the kids in the grass.

“Hey Clem, you seem to be struggling a bit there. Need some help?” The blonde asked, unfurling his wings from his back. Clementine looked up at him, stars in her eyes and she nodded excitedly, beaming.

“Will you teach me how to fly, dad?” Tommy laughed, still a little embarrassed that the kids called him dad, instead of maybe Tommy, or even big brother, but he ultimately hadn’t minded. 

“Sure! It’ll help you since I know a ton of tricks to flying!” And so, Tommy spent the next couple of hours teaching Clementine how to angle her wings, how to lift herself into the air, and how to glide on the wind. The girl was having mountains of fun the entire time, and when she got tired, Tommy let them take a break. Henry had looked a little left out, and so Tommy quickly retreated into the house, before coming right back out with something in his arms. He’d made it a while back, and figured that now would be a good time to use it. Phil ~~**_Dadza_ **~~had made one before, for Tommy and his siblings when they were younger. It was a harness, with securing straps on the front and back of it. Tommy retracted his wings and slipped the harness on, before moving over to the kids.

“Alright, Henry, you climb on my back first, and I’ll strap you in. Then I’ll carry Clem.” Henry beamed excitedly and nodded, his little tail wagging as he rushed over to climb onto the teen’s back. Tommy maneuvered his arms around himself to properly fasten and tighten all of the belt loops on the back of the harness, before wiggling a bit to make sure that Henry was properly secured. Henry giggled at the movement. Tommy grinned, before he beckoned Clementine to come over, which she did. Tommy scooped her up in his arms, and after making sure he had a good grip on her, he reformed his wings, spreading them wide before giving a little flap. Tommy flapped once, twice, and then he jumped, taking off into the air. 

Henry and Clementine cheered happily as Tommy flew higher and higher, until they were above the clouds. Now, anyone looking from down below wouldn’t be able to see them, and so Tommy was free to fly around as much as he wanted. The kids chattered happily as they took in the sights, and giggled as Tommy carefully spun and dove. All the while, Tommy was explaining to Clementine how flying worked.

“You wanna make sure that your wings never flap too high or too low, so you don’t risk them crashing into your body. Feel the air current beneath your wings, feel the breeze flowing over them. Relax your body, but make sure to tense your muscles slightly, as though you were lifting something heavy. Because if you’re too relaxed, you could catch a wrong wind drift, and go veering off course.” The lessons that Phil had taught him so long ago still resided in Tommy’s mind, and Clementine was nodding as she listened.

She was still young, so the lessons might not stay, but Tommy had all the time in the world to teach the young girl how to fly. He would also have to teach Henry some things he could do without wings, so that the boy didn’t feel left out. Eventually, Tommy quieted his lessons, and the three just took the time to fly leisurely through the skies. After a while, it began to get dark, and Henry and Clementine grew tired. They yawned, and Tommy could see Clementine rubbing at her eyes. He smiled, and decided to head back down to land. The stars had begun to shine above them, and as Tommy entered his home, he wondered if Clara was up there somewhere, looking after them from the skies, still singing in her spaceship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time passed, and everyone grew. Tubbo had stepped down from his presidency after Tommy “died”, and moved to live with JackManifold and Ranboo in Snowchester. Phil, Fundy and Ghostbur stayed with Technoblade in the Arctic, the family sticking together, none of the living members wanting to lose the other. Techno had wanted to find and murder Dream, but the green man had disappeared. No one had seen him, but no one really cared. Quackity and Niki brought the abandoned L’Manburg into Mexican L’Manburg, making it their own. Karl, Sapnap and George came to live there, to be with their friends. Bad, Antfrost and Skeppy retreated to the Badlands, rambling about an Egg. No one really knew what they were talking about. Sam and Puffy stayed in the central SMP, where Tommy’s old house was. They fixed it up, and built houses across from it, and Tommy’s grave. The grave had been made in the spot where the bench used to sit, everyone keeping the jukebox beside it. 

Before anyone realized it, two years had passed, and everyone had just been living their lives. In the Arctic, Phil had been tending to the bees, minding his own business, when a noise from nearby alerted his attention. The winged man stopped, looking up and into the trees. 

“Hello?” The blonde called out, his blue eyes scanning the forest. He didn’t see anything, nor did he sense any movement. The man shrugged, before he finished up what he was doing. As Phil left the bee enclosure, pulling his cloak tighter around him, he heard the same noise again. A crunch in the snow, like a footstep. This time, Phil was certain that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him, and his hand flew to the handle of his sword.

“Alright mate, you’d better come out now, and make me reconsider hurting you.” Silence. Phil tensed, drawing his sword in front of him. His eyes narrowed, and as he gazed around the area, he just barely avoided an arrow that came flying past his face. The man swerved to the side, and as he did so, a pink blur sped out of the forest, and into the air. Phil glared at the blue as his head snapped up, and his dark-grey wings spread, before he gave a flap to go after the thing. The man couldn’t tell what or who this person was, as they were wearing a dark cloak, and seemed pretty small. The only thing he could distinguish were the bright pink and yellow wings on their back, flapping furiously as they led Phil around. 

“You come back here! Don’t make me hurt you!” The man called, speeding up as he chased the figure. They did a sharp turn to the left, and took a nosedive, speeding back towards the forest before abruptly swerving up, flying straight back towards the house. Phil made the same moves, as he was hot on this stranger’s tail. He was so focused on catching them, he just barely missed the sight of someone running into the house. A pair, huh? That was when it hit him. They were trying to steal! This was a distraction! Phil took a sharp dive down towards Techno’s home, where he landed hard on the staircase. The blonde could hear noises inside, so he slammed the door open, looking in to see what was going on. Someone in a dark cloak was running around the house, twisting and turning to dodge the grasp of the pink-haired hybrid, who was hot on their tail. 

“You little thief! Get back here! I’ll kill you!” Techno cried, sliding across the wooden floor as the figure made a sharp turn, causing the larger man to stumble. Phil rushed forwards, to try and help his son, when the pink blur from earlier sped inside, rushing past him and temporarily startling him. The pink blur crashed into Techno, who was just about to grab the coat of the other figure. Techno was knocked over, and Phil rushed over to help his son up off the floor. The winged figure crashed into their partner, and both figures shot into the rafters, one carrying the other. Now Phil and Techno were rightly pissed, and Phil was just about to grab his crossbow, when suddenly he caught sight of the faces of one of the figures.

It was a little girl, who looked to be about eight years old. She had bright blue eyes, and fluffy strawberry blonde locks peeking out from underneath her hood. Pink and yellow freckles were scattered across her porcelain cheeks, and she glared down at the two men. She was hugging the other figure tightly, that of which was holding a sack of things in their arms. Phil reckoned that it had some of the items that had been stolen from Techno.

“Wait, Tech, it looks like it’s just a pair of kids.” Techno growled, loading an arrow in his crossbow anyways.

“I hate orphans, and I’m taking my stuff back.” The accusation of being an orphan seemed to have angered the little girl, as her wings flared. She took a deep breath, before calling out a name.

“ _DAAAADDDDD!!!!_ ” Phil and Techno froze for a second in confusion, but that was all they needed to be thrown into immediate chaos. The sound of glass shattering filled the house as something was thrown through the window, and shattered at the men’s feet. They stumbled back as they realized that it was a slowness potion, and the next thing they knew, their movements were significantly slowed. The front door, which had been closed during the chaos, slammed open, and another, taller figure in a dark red cloak ran in. He had an netherite axe strapped to his back, along with a trident that crossed over that. In his hand was a netherite sword, with a green bandanna tied around the handle. The children on top of the rafters quickly came down, the little girl carrying her partner. As he searched his pockets for milk, Phil was able to see that the other one was a young boy, who looked to be about ten, and had fluffy brown hair and tan skin. The hood on his head had two little points on them, like he had horns, and Phil could clearly see the fluffy ears on either side of his head. They would’ve reminded the man of a goat, but the shape was more similar to a cow’s. 

The taller figure pointed his sword at the two men as he ushered his children behind him. The boy held the bag he held up.

“Dad, I managed to grab some food and some emeralds, but then the pink man started chasing me, so I didn’t get much. I’m sorry.” He frowned, but a larger hand gently ruffled the boy on the head, and apparent affirmation that it was okay. 

“That’s fine Henry, we’re leaving now anyways.” The man spoke up, and Phil’s eyes widened at the thick British accent. Techno, who had slowly managed to pull out a bottle of milk and drink it, stood up quickly, growling as he aimed his crossbow at the three intruders. 

“Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” The man replied, his sword still pointed at the two. Techno glared, and the two were still, stuck in a face off. Phil managed to drink his milk, and sigh as he felt the potion effects disperse. He jumped to his feet, and the cloaked figure shifted, his sword pointing towards the blonde man as well.

“Wait! Wait…” Phil spoke, putting his hands up. Techno raised an eyebrow at his father.

“Phil- what? What do you mean ‘wait’?! These strangers stole our stuff and they’re threatening us! I say we kill them all right now.” 

“Techno! Just wait a minute..” Phil looked towards the cloaked figure, focusing his gaze under the hood. He put his hands out, like he was approaching a scared animal. Phil’s eyes landed on the green bandanna on the handle of the sword, seeing that it was worn and torn, but he still caught the familiar letter ‘T’ sewn onto one of the edges. At the sight the man’s eyes widened. “.... Tommy…?” Techno jumped at the accusation, his grip on his crossbow lowering. A beat passed, before Techno spoke up.

“What?” The man in the dark red cloak sighed, and lowered his sword. He pulled his hood back, revealing messy blonde hair, a familiar face, and pale blue-grey eyes. A scar ran up his cheek and over his left eye, which also caused a split in his eyebrow. His eyes were hardened, as the young adult glared at his family.

“Hi Dad, hello Techno. ‘Ow do?”


	7. Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Sleepy Boys sit, they have a talk with Tommy.  
> Tommy does not think this is very poggers, but he has no choice.  
> A reunion goes the way Phil did not expect it to, and Tommy cries. 
> 
> Good. He needed those tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part of me feels like this chapter is kinda “bleh” but another part of me is like “this is literally so epic” and anyways, I hope you all enjoy it! I also made a drawing of Tommy, Henry and Clementine, but I don’t know how to add the drawing into the text, so I’ll just add a link at the end instead!

_January 6th, 20xx._

Winter was still in full swing, especially in the Arctic. The snow had been coming down heavier than usual, as if the land itself had known of the change that was soon to come. Inside a cozy little home in the Arctic, stood five figures, all facing each other.

Tommy still stood tense, ready to spring if anyone made any sort of sudden, hostile moves, but he had lowered his sword. In turn, his wings had appeared and spread out, shielding his children from sight. Technoblade and Philza had lowered their weapons as well, and now the three family members stood, staring each other down. Phil was the first to speak.

“Tommy.. _what_ ? H-how are you…. how are you alive? You.. _you died!_ ” Tommy scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Well, Phil, obviously not. I’m obviously standing here, alive and kicking, thank you very much.” Techno was the next to speak, taking a step forward. Tommy’s arm immediately swung up, his eyes narrowing as he pointed the blade at the hybrid man. His feathers ruffled, and it was obvious that he was anxious. Techno, however, wasn’t deterred.

“Where the hell have you been for the last _two years,_ Tommy?! Do you know how _upset_ we were over you? We thought.. we thought you’d **_killed yourself!_ ** And yet you’re here.. what, playing _thief?!_ ” The pink-haired man exclaimed, and his eyes flickered down to the children standing behind Tommy when he registered that they were peeking from behind their father’s wings, growling at him. The blonde; without changing too much about his stance aside from tucking his wings back in, lightly smacked both children on their foreheads with his free hand. They stopped growling immediately, pouting instead.

“I’m not ‘playing thief’, Techno. Hell, I forgot you even lived here. We weren’t planning on staying for long, but we ran out of certain supplies, like potions. And with winter being as heavy as it is this year, my crops weren’t faring too well. So.. we had to go back to old habits for a bit, I suppose.” Tommy explained, as if this were meant to be common knowledge. The two men didn’t miss the fact that Tommy had basically admitted to running away and being a farmer. Phil’s turn came next.

“Well that doesn’t explain what the _hell_ happened to you! First, you vanish off the face of the earth, then you come back, looking like you’ve just fought in a war, and with _two children_ no less?! Christ’s sake mate, you’re only nineteen!” Tommy scoffed, rolling his eyes. He lowered his sword, and placed it back into its sheath.

“They’re adopted. But wow, how nice of you to remember how old I am only _after_ I’m gone. Real fun, _dad._ And in case you forgot, I’ve already fought in wars. **_TWICE_**. Three times, if I’m being honest _._ It’s crazy how you suddenly care when you thought I was dead. I could have _actually_ been dead, for all you knew. Hell, I was close to it back then too, when all you fuckers left me alone in exile, not visiting even _once_ , and leaving me alone with that _stupid green bitch for_ **_months!!_ **” Tommy was suddenly yelling, years of anger bubbling back up from beneath the surface. He felt his face getting hot, and he was very close to just screaming and taking out his frustrations. But a small hand tugging gently on his cloak made the blonde cool down a bit, as Tommy turned to look at his kids. Henry gave his adoptive father a worried look, as did Clementine. Tommy exhaled a breath, running a hand across his face, before turning to crouch in front of the children.

“I’m sorry guys, for blowing up like that. I’m just a little frustrated, y’know?” Tommy missed Clara. Clara would know how to calm him down. Clara would know how to talk to his family, without blowing up at them. Clara would know how to stop this repressed anger from bubbling to the surface before it even started. 

But Clara wasn’t here. And so Tommy had to do it himself. 

Clementine nuzzled her face into Tommy’s cheek, and the blonde laughed as her fluffy hair brushed against his nose. Henry also clung to his dad’s arm, the boy a little too lanky to hang onto the teen like he wanted in the crouched position they were in. The room was silent for a moment, before Phil cleared his throat, speaking again.

“I… I’m sorry, Tommy. How-how about we all sit down? Shut the door, relax. You can.. can you tell us what happened to you? How you.. got all those scars and shit?” Tommy turned to look at his father, his eyes narrowed. But the pleading look in his eyes was genuine, and the grief in them was also heavy. He seemed to just be relieved that his son hadn’t been dead, like he thought. Tommy sighed, before standing up.

“Fine. I guess so. The kids are probably tired from all this yelling and running anyways. I won’t give your shit back though.” Techno looked as though he was going to object to that, but Phil silenced him, raising a single grey wing in front of his eldest son.

“That’s fine! That’s completely fine, we can always get more. Come on, let’s go sit in the living room.” The piglin hybrid grumbled, huffing as he turned on his heel and began walking towards the room in question. Tommy and the kids followed behind, at a slower, and more cautious pace. The living room was cozy, and had been expanded a while ago to fit more people. The whole house had, actually, which could have also attributed to the reason why Tommy didn’t remember who lived here.

The reason the house had expanded was because it had to fit four people; which included Techno, Phil, Wilbur and Fundy. Wilbur and Fundy were currently out, which explained why they weren’t here to see the current development. Phil knew they’d be back soon though. The blonde man let Tommy and his kids ~~**_kids, his kids, Philza had more grandchildren now…_ ** ~~ sit on one couch, whilst he and Techno took the two armchairs that sat diagonal to the fireplace. 

Next to said fireplace sat an Enderman, it’s legs and torso strapped to a rocking chair. Tommy gave it a side glance, shuffling Henry and Clementine closer to him. Techno noticed this, and offered a monotone answer.

“That’s Edward, he’s our roommate. Don’t mind him.” Philza chuckled, but Tommy did not, which was a little bit out of character. Phil had to remember that Tommy wasn’t a child anymore. 

“So.. how did you.. get those scars? And the kids? And, yknow, where do you live and such now?” Tommy blinked, rolling his neck as he shifted, making sure that his gear wasn’t pressing into his skin or his kids uncomfortably. Phil wondered why he wouldn’t take them off.

“Well, around the beginning of fall last year, I had a little… _scuffle_ , with some passing pillagers.” The kids obviously flinched at the mention of the mobs, and Tommy’s wings appeared, wrapping around the two and comforting them. Philza was astonished by how reflexive the gesture was. “I got rid of them, obviously, but they didn’t go down without leaving a couple of marks. Hence, where these came from.” 

Tommy gestured to his face, where the scars across his face, cheek and neck sat. The teen shrugged. “S’not that big of a deal. Makes me look cooler, more threatening.” Clementine beamed, her happy little face looking up at Tommy from where she’d snuggled into his side.

“I think that it makes you look very strong, Dad!” Tommy smiled softly at the girl, ruffling her hair with his hand. Clementine giggled, and curled back into his side. Tommy then began explaining about where Clem and Henry came from, and how he lived very, _very_ far from here. 

“Took us ‘bout 5 weeks to get here, yknow? Would’ve been 6 if we hadn’t found that horse. Unfortunately, Horse Henry couldn’t join us the rest of the way.” Phil and Techno looked to each other, exchanging confused looks. They were going to ask more questions, when the front door suddenly opened, and two pairs of footsteps could be heard entering. Tommy tensed, and immediately stood, his wings flaring out to shield his kids, his sword being drawn from it’s sheath. Phil and Techno stood up as well, Phil taking a step towards Tommy.

“Tommy, wait-!” At that exact moment, two familiar faces entered the living room. One man, tall and lanky, with curly brown hair tucked into a beanie, and a soft yellow sweater over his torso. A blue cloak was wrapped around his shoulders, snow still melting off of it. He was holding a pink box in his hands. The other man was a little shorter, but not by much. He had bright orange hair, and orange fox ears perched atop his head. He wore a black jacket over a white t-shirt, and black trousers. A similar blue cloak was wrapped around his shoulders as well, covering the bushy fox tail that sat underneath. The two men had been talking, and as they entered the room, their eyes widened. They were both focused on Tommy, obviously in clear shock. Tommy too, was shocked, yet his gaze lingered on the man in yellow. He looked a little more…. alive, than he used to. Silence reigned again, before Tommy’s sword clattered to the floor, as did the pink box that the man held. After a few seconds, Tommy managed to utter out a word.

“W-Wilbur…?” Fundy stood shocked, and his eyes scanned the room to take everything in. Techno and Phil by the chairs, the two strange kids behind Tommy, _Tommy himself._ Wilbur’s eyes widened even more, and tears were welling in them. 

“Tommy..? Toms, is… is that you?” Tommy nodded, his wings drooping, tears beginning to form in his gaze as well. Without hesitation, the two rushed towards each other, wrapping the other in a tight hug. The hug was warm, and Wilbur was sobbing.

“Tommy..! It’s you, it’s really you..! You’re alive, I thought-I thought I lost you! When you didn’t come back as a ghost, I got so worried, and I.. I…” The man choked, his hands gripping Tommy tightly, like if he let go, the teen would vanish again. The blonde was doing very much the same.

“You were _dead_ ! You’re.. you’re here? How, _you’re alive_ …. Wilby….. I missed you so much…!” The brothers sobbed in each other’s embrace, both happy to see the other alive and well, though one was a little more confused on how his brother came back from the dead. But at the moment, they didn’t care. Henry and Clementine watched the scene in front of them, and ran up to join the hug, becoming worried after watching their dad begin to cry. Wilbur was a little shocked at this, but he didn’t mind the two new additions, Tommy easily letting them into the hug as he sobbed as though he were a kid again. Fundy moved over to Phil and Techno, the three of them watching the scene with different emotions in their eyes. Phil especially, his wings hanging low as he watched his son hug his brother, the scene making his heart heavy. Tommy hadn’t wanted to hug him when they first saw each other. The blonde knew he had been a terrible father, but… he grieved. What would he be able to do to make this right again? 

Despite the cries, the house seemed to warm up a little more, as though a missing piece of the puzzle had finally been found and slotted into place.

Tommy was the piece. And Tommy was back. 

But was Tommy home?

* * *

Picture that I somehow cannot add: [Innit Family](https://www.instagram.com/p/CK41EAVBzXK/?igshid=1kfj0e6ep6xfj)


	8. Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy and Wilbur talk and hug it out  
> Clementine and Henry hang out with someone other than their dad  
> Wilbur, Tommy and Philza have a talk. But...  
> Tommy is not okay.....
> 
> //TW: Panic attack, insanity, thoughts of a madman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> //I’m trying to adjust my writing to make Tommy speak more like he usually does and not like an American, because how could I make him speak like that?? He’d be so disappointed in me, an American  
> //Also, I’ve had my own fair share of panic attacks, so I know what they’re like, but I’m not too good at writing them, so I hope that the way I wrote it is okay. It’s a little hard explaining things the way I want to and it takes me forever, which is why the chapters are short and may seem a little rushed at times. Because if I take any longer or make them any longer, then the updates will go by slow. Anyways, enjoy!

Eventually, Tommy and Wilbur had stopped crying on one another, and Tommy had quickly pulled away, wiping the tears off his face.

“I ain’t no crybaby ‘n shit…” He muttered, his wings coming up to cover his red face as well. Wilbur laughed, and went to ruffle Tommy’s hair.

“Of course not, Toms. You’re a big man now.” The resurrected man looked down then, to get a better look at Henry and Clementine. He crouched down to their level, a soft smile on his face.

“Well, hello! I noticed you joined our hug earlier. What’re your names?” Clementine beamed, already liking the man with the fluffy hair and the yellow sweater. Her pink wings fluttered as she smiled at him.

“Hi! I’m Clementine! I’m eight years old and I like flying and singing and playing in the dirt sometimes, though dad says I should stop doing that, but it’s lots of fun!” Wilbur chuckled, his head turning to eye Fundy, who blushed and ducked his head at the gaze.

“Don’t worry, my little champion over there used to do that when he was younger as well! He used to come home, just completely  _ covered _ in mud. And he would whine when I had to wash it all out of his fur.” Fundy groaned as his dad recounted the tale, his ears drooping with embarrassment.

“Dad, you can’t just bring that up!! To a child!!!” The man exclaimed, his face in his hands. Wilbur just laughed, then turned back to Tommy’s kids. Henry stepped forwards, his hands fidgeting with the sleeves of his sweater.

“Uh.. Hi…. My name is Henry. I’m ten years old, and I like sword fighting.” Techno perked up at that, immediately finding interest in the topic. Henry continued. “I also like to help dad around the farm, and also when he lets me ride on his back as he flies..” The child seemed embarrassed to be telling all this information to a stranger; and he was stumbling over his words, as the small family of three hadn’t really had anyone to talk to aside from each other for the past two years. Wilbur smiled and nodded.

“Well, those seem like very fun things to do! Does Tommy teach you how to fight with a sword?” Henry nods. “Yeah, he’s pretty good with it, huh? Quite the little soldier. Yknow, your Uncle Techno over there is also good with a sword. D’you think your dad would let you ask him to teach you a little bit?” Tommy perked up at that, his feathers fluffing up in anger. He stared with indignation at Wilbur for even suggesting such a thing. But before he could start cursing, Henry whirled around towards Tommy, an excited look on his face.

“Dad? Dad, _pleaseeee_ can I learn how to use a sword from Uncle Techno?” Tommy’s own annoyed expression stopped in it’s tracks, and he now wore one of shock and surprise. The blonde took a deep breath, before flapping his wings once, the appendages vanishing behind his back. He then sighed, and raised a hand to run though his blonde hair.

“....I s’pose so. But maybe next time, Henry. We aren’t staying here for much longer.” Wilbur looks up at that, and he rises up to his full height. The man pouts, which really is something he as a grown man shouldn’t be doing, but he makes it work. 

“Awww, c’mon Toms! You just got here! We see you alive and well for the first time in, what, two years, and you just wanna up and leave?” Tommy grumbles, his eyes looking to the side.

“We really shouldn’t have even stayed this long, it’s too dangerous…” The teen muttered. Wilbur quickly moves over to his younger brother’s side, taking the blonde’s hands into his own.

“Please, Tommy? Just.. just one night! And you can leave tomorrow. But please..we  _ missed _ you. Please, just stay.” Tommy looked up at his brother, his face obviously conflicted, before it dissolved into one of defeat.

“....Fine.” Clementine and Henry cheered, before running up to hug their father. And then, almost immediately, they each ran to their respective talking partners. Henry to Techno, and Clementine to Fundy. The moth child looked up at the older hybrid, a sparkle in her eyes.

“Will you play with me? Please, please, _pleeeeaassse_?” Fundy looked a little shocked, but caved.

“Okay, sure, what would you like to do?” Clementine squealed, and began dragging the elder’s hand towards the front door.

“Let’s go play in the snow!” Tommy looked up, and called after the child.

“No flying, Clem!” Clementine called back her okay, and with that, Fundy and Clementine disappeared outside. Henry was standing in front of Techno, nervously fidgeting with his sleeves.

“Um.. Uncle Techno? Could you.. please teach me how to sword fight? J-just for a bit! You don’t have to if you’re busy!” Techno looked with an unreadable expression at the child, before looking up to Tommy. The blonde gave his eldest brother a Look, one that stated that he do what Henry asks, or they leave. Techno sighed, before standing up, brushing his pink hair from his face.

“I s’pose it’s fine by me. Since you aren’t an orphan and all. We’ll go to the basement.” Henry beamed at the confirmation, and rushed after the elder to train with him. That just left Tommy, Wilbur, and Philza in the living room. And Edward, I suppose. Tommy moved to flop back on the couch, taking his weapons off him to make him more comfortable. He sighed, closing his eyes and slumping down in the furniture. Phil stood, taking a step towards Tommy.

“Uh, I can take your things, put them up if you’d like-” Immediately, that got a reaction out of the blonde. His eyes snapped open, and he immediately had a grip on his weapons. Cold eyes glared in Philza’s direction.

“ **No** .” Phil flinched back, and took a step back. An apology muttered past his lips, and Tommy blinked. He looked at his father, before signing, and leaning back into the couch. A hand came up to rub at his eyes, and he groaned.

“No, Phil, it’s.. it’s not you. I just… anything I ‘ave, weapons or armor ‘n shit..I can’t just.. hand ‘em over. Y’know? It’s like… I just fuckin’ can’t. I don’t wanna talk ‘bout it…” Wilbur took a seat beside his younger brother on the couch, a worried look on his face. Phil took his seat back in the armchair. Wilbur gently placed a hand over Tommy’s, having the slightest clue as to why the teen may not have wanted to talk about it. The blonde looked over at his, now alive, older brother, and a confused expression crossed his face.

“By the way, Wilbur, how are you alive?” Wilbur smiled, and shrugged his shoulders.

“Uh.. it took a while, about a year after you disappeared actually. Eret, Phil and Ranboo- remember him? They went on a trip to find a bunch of dark magic shit, to attempt to bring me back to life. Oh, and Dream had this black magic book- T-Tommy?” Tommy had frozen, and had violently flinched away, his hands covering his ears. His eyes were wide, and he was shaking. Wilbur and Phil stood quickly, both crouching in front of the teen. The fast movements only caused Tommy to flinch again. He spaced out, muttering nonsense under his breath. Wilbur and Phil gave each other worried glances, before attempting to talk to Tommy.

“Tommy?? Tommy, what’s wrong?”

“Toms, hey, it’s okay, calm down..” Tommy had started hyperventilating, tears forming in his eyes. 

“No.. no, I don’t wanna hear it.. I don’t wanna hear ‘is name..” The blonde choked back a sob, his hands coming up to cover his face. His words were muffled, but the father and brother respectively could hear what their youngest was saying.

“I’m sorry Dream.. I’m sorry…” Wilbur’s eyes widened, and he gasped, before cursing under his breath. It seemed that saying Dream’s name had been a trigger, of sorts for the blonde. Phil grit his teeth, and at that moment, he felt the same way he had at his son’s funeral two years ago.

**_He wanted to kill Dream._ **

But right now, he had to take care of Tommy. Wilbur was rubbing soothing circles into the blonde’s back, trying to get him to calm down. Tommy continued muttering apologies, before he suddenly stopped, his hands moving up to grip at his hair. His hands then slid down his face, and the two men could see the expression that Tommy had adopted. 

It was crazed, like that of a madman. He began speaking again.

“No.. no.. he can’t hurt you anymore. He won’t hurt you anymore, Tommy. You’ll hurt him. You’ll kill him, Tommy. Yeah.. yeah…. let’s rip his legs off…” At this point, Tommy was talking to himself more than he was talking to anyone else. And Wilbur and Phil exchanged glances once more. As much as they wanted to kill Dream…

Somehow, it seemed as though Tommy wanted the man dead even more.

And honestly, they shouldn’t be surprised. But at the same time, whatever it was Dream had done to the blonde in exile.. he was very clearly  _ not _ okay. Maybe he’d been getting better, these past two years. With just him and his kids, who knew nothing of the green man, maybe it was easier to push the almost-god out of his mind. He’d clearly done so for a reason, partly out of fear…

_ And partly out of rage. _


	9. Nine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the SBI talk about Tommy’s return, too soon for their liking Tommy and his children must return home. It is too dangerous for them here, but Tommy leaves his family with a way to find him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, I had to speedrun the rest of this one, sorry it took me so long! I kept forgetting how it was supposed to go, and I’ve also been writing the angsty one-shots recently as well. But here it is! Now, after this I kiiinnda forgot how the plot was meant to go, so you guys could give me suggestions on what you want to see happen next!

It takes a bit to calm Tommy down, to drag him out of whatever crazed mindset he’d put himself into. Once that was done, Phil was just barely able to hold himself back from hunting down the server admin then and there. The next couple of hours were spent in mostly silence, Tommy assisting Phil with making dinner. Philza made sure to compliment Tommy on his cooking skills, which in turn caused Tommy to start bragging.

“I bet I’m a better chef than you, bitch! Yeahhh, I’ve got the skills!” Phil laughed, and even through the teen’s bragging, he could tell that the blonde was a little embarrassed, probably not used to being praised. Phil internally wondered how he could fix that. He doubted if he even could. Tommy’s trauma obviously wasn’t too fresh, which meant that attempting to help him with it now, two years later, might not fare well. Philza finds himself wishing he could have helped sooner, but at the same time, Tommy did seem… better. The avian rustled his wings, grey feathers shifting on his back. Certainly, the kids couldn’t have totally helped Tommy get through his trauma, and he doubted that Tommy would have been able to get through the initial feelings of running away by himself, so the question presented to him was, who did help him? Everyone thought that Tommy was dead, so it couldn’t have been anyone in the SMP. Whoever it was, Phil wished he could meet them, so he could thank them for helping his son where he failed to do so. 

By the time Fundy and Techno returned with the children, dinner was ready, and Tommy and Wilbur were setting up the table. Clementine and Henry seemed particularly excited, probably famished from a whole day of exercise. They clambered into their seats at the dinner table, excited smiles on their faces. There were only four seats in total at the dinner table, as the home was used to fitting four, but Techno and Phil willingly gave up their seats for the two children. Wilbur insisted that Fundy sat with Tommy at the table, but he politely declined, instead opting to sit with Techno and Philza near the couch. Tommy muttered something under his breath about “not sitting at the kid’s table”, before he took his seat. He sat closer to his children than he did to Wilbur, but that was understandable. Everyone fell into a mostly comfortable conversation as they sat down to eat. 

“So, Toms, tell us about you! How’s your life at.. wherever you live?” Tommy hummed, scooping a spoonful of mashed potatoes into his mouth. He chewed for a bit, and then spoke up after he swallowed.

“It’s fine. It’s been sorta peaceful, up where we live. The nearest village is a couple of hours away, and we usually go there to trade ‘n shit. The only big thing that really happens is the occasional raid. I learned my lesson after the first couple of scars, however.” Tommy chuckled, obviously alluding to his face. Wilbur laughed lightly as well. 

“You’re kind of like Techno and Phil now, with the scars!” Tommy nodded, and ate some more, before he continued speaking.

“Yeah, but it’s not like I’ve got ‘is moves ‘n shit. I’ve been training; of course, when I’m not working or with the kids, but killing mobs isn’t as much of a challenge as fighting people. And really, fightin’s not much of a need up there, and Henry and Clem need me more, so even my training isn’t much.” Clem pouted, swallowing her mouthful of food before she spoke up.

“But dad! We’re big kids now! We can watch ourselves, you should get stronger!” Tommy raised an eyebrow at that, putting on a mock serious face and staring at his daughter. Though he was obviously trying not to smile.

“And who was the one that said that when it came to flying, before getting herself stuck in that tree?” Clementine gave an indignant cry, and the others laughed.

“I-I didn’t mean to! The wind pushed me, Dad! I can fly well, I promise!” Tommy laughed, his facade breaking. He reached over, ruffling the blonde locks of his youngest.

“I know Clem, I know. Hurry up and eat your food now, it’ll be bedtime soon.” Clementine and Henry nodded, and dug back into their food. Wilbur looked at his youngest brother, eyes soft with adoration.

“Toms, you’ve grown so much…” Tommy looked the elder in his eyes, before his frown faded and he looked away.

“I had to. For them.” He mumbled, before finishing off his own food.

~~~~~~~~

The house was getting ready to settle in for sleep, and Wilbur said he’d give up his room for Tommy and his kids, offering to sleep on the couch. Tommy protested at that, saying that he could sleep on the couch, but Wilbur wasn’t having any of it, and managed to give Tommy a strong rebuttal. Tommy sighed in defeat, and went to go tuck his sleepy children in. As the trio vanished into the hall, the other members of the family stayed together, converging in the living room. Phil placed his head in his hands, giving a deep sigh.

“Oh, Tommy, mate…. what are we gonna do?” Techno grumbled, running a hand through his bright pink locks.

“I know what  _ I’m _ going to do, and that’s to rip the head off of that smiling green bastard.” 

“How, Techno? No one’s seen…  _ him _ , ever since Tommy vanished. We don’t even know where he is. He’s not allowed on our lands, and he’s not allowed in L’Manburg. And those still in the SMP haven’t seen him around either. Trust me, I want to kill the bastard just as much as you do.” Wilbur spoke up, his hands gesturing around as he talked. 

“We should just be glad that Tommy’s back, and alive.” Fundy offered, placing a hand on his father’s shoulder. “He’s obviously not  _ totally _ okay, but he’s apparently doing better. What we should worry about is… do we tell Tubbo?” Phil lifted his head, his wings shuffling on his back. 

“What did he even go through in his exile to make him run away though? To be not alright?” Wilbur scrunched his face, a sour expression on it.

“I never thought I’d have to talk about this, since we thought he was dead, but… in exile, Dream would take Tommy’s things. All his hard earned weapons, armor, food and everything. He’d make him put his stuff into a hole and watch as Dream blew it up. That’s why there were so many craters in Logstedshire, because of him. I’m also pretty sure he was manipulating Tommy, maybe even hitting him. But I don’t know, a lot of my memories from Ghostbur are still pretty fuzzy… that’s another reason I never brought it up, because I couldn’t really remember.” Those words caused a wave of anger to go through everyone present in the room. Techno let out a low growl, and he looked about ready to spring up, but Phil placed a hand on his eldest’s shoulder, keeping the man down. 

“We can deal with that later, Tech. For now, we should just spend time with Tommy.” 

“But how? He’s leaving tomorrow. You heard him, he doesn’t want to stay here any longer than he has to.” Wilbur shrugged, his fingers fiddling with the sleeves of his sweater. The motion calmed him.

“Maybe we could ask him for a compass, or even a map. Then we could visit him.” Fundy looked towards the hallway, where Tommy and his children lay sleeping in the room.

“Let’s hope he’ll let us visit, though.”

~~~~~~~

Tommy flexed his wings experimentally, testing their weight against the tundra winds. He shifted his weight, adjusting the straps that attached Henry to his back. The young boy laughed, his tail flicking excitedly against the bag of supplies on his back. He always enjoyed flying with his dad. Henry’s hands gripped the arms of Tommy’s axe and trident, using them as though they were handles. Clementine was strapped to Tommy’s front, and she held her father’s sword to her chest. After baking sure that both of his children were secure, Tommy turned, facing his family. They looked a little sad to see him go, but Wilbur clenched a map tightly in his hands.

“Since I’m gonna fly, it’ll probably take me two weeks shorter to get home than it did on the way here, as we were walking. I can pretty much remember the way back from here, so it should be fine. Remember, all of you. Don’t write my name on that thing, don’t tell anyone where that fuckin’ mark leads. You guys can visit any time, I really don’t care, and the kids could use some more company anyways.” The  _ “I could use some, too.” _ in that sentence went unsaid. “And, if you can…” Tommy frowned, kicking his foot against the ground, eyes shifting down as he was unable to meet anyone’s gaze.

“...If you can, bring Tubbo with you. Ranboo too, I guess…” Philza nodded, understanding. Of course Tommy still missed Tubbo. And Tubbo still thought that the blonde was dead. 

“We will. It’ll take us a while to prepare, but we’ll definitely visit soon. How does March sound?” Tommy nodded in agreement.

“That’s fine with me. Anyways.. guess I’ll see you bitches later.” The blonde got ready to turn, but he was suddenly surrounded with a group hug. His family surrounded him, hugging Tommy as tight as they could, without squishing Henry and Clementine in the process. Wilbur was tearing up.

“We’ll miss you, Toms. And we love you, we still do, we always have.” Tommy gave a small smile, looking into his brother’s eyes.

“Yeah yeah, okay, clingy. You’ll see me in two months. Now get off me, I’m tired of this cryin’ shit.” Everyone backed away from the boy, and Tommy beamed, bright red wings spreading out against the tundra. He raised a hand to his head in a two-fingered salute.

“See you later; Wilby, Techie, dad and Fundy.” And with a resounding crack against the ground, Tommy rocketed into the air. He soared high, just below the cloud level, before letting himself free fall. Not for long, however, as he turned in the air, shifting to make sure his kids were safely balanced, before stretching his wings back out. And then, with a powerful flap, Tommy took off across the forest. He skimmed the tops of the trees, and vanished in the distance after a few more beats. His family watched him disappear across the treetops, glimpsing only a bit of red and golden feathers before he vanished around a mountain. They sighed and turned back to their home. They hated to see their youngest go, but it was good to know that he was at least alive. He wasn’t by any means close by, but at least they’d be able to visit him. 

The only problem now was how they were going to convince Tubbo to come with them in March.


End file.
